Luncheon-table for automobiles.



H. H. LABADIE, B. B. BEERS & w. 0. STARK.

LUNCHEON TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG3I, I914. 1,189,35. Patented July 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wdvomm 76. f5;

@W MQJ H. H. LABADIE, B. B. BEERS & W. 0. STARK.

LUNCHEON TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED AUG.3I. I914.

' jizz/ezzffi J94 4 f Y h 4 m? gs Patent ed July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HARRY n. LAZBAIDIE, RURToN B. BEERs, AND WILLIAM o. STARK, or CHICAGO, ILLI- NoIS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, or ONE-HALF To SAID LABADIE AND oNE-HALE To THE ESTATE or WILLIAM SCHWEITZER, DECEASED.

LUNCHEON-TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

aeaesa.

Patented July 4, 1913.

Application filed. August 31, 1914.. Serial No. 859,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY H. LABADIE, BURTON B. BEERS, and VII/LIAM O. STARK, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Chicago,'in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luncheon- Tables for Automobiles; and we do hereby declare" that the following description of our said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to improvements in a luncheon table for automobiles, and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to which serve to illustrate our said invention more fully, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our joint invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 a side elevation with certain parts shown in section. Fig. 4 is a partial section of a quick acting tensioning device employed. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig.4, and Fig. 6 an enlarged elevation of the same with certain parts left out for sake of clearness of disclosure. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a fragment of the supporting post incorporated in our invention, and Fig. 8 is an elevation of a fragment thereof.

Like parts are indicated by corresponding characters or symbols of reference in all the figures of the drawing.

The essence of this invention resides in the production of a portable luncheon table for automobiles and the like which is wholly and entirely supported from the floor of the vehicle upon suitable standards, in which are incoporated original tensioning means adapted to enforce any desired pressure of frictional contact of the said table against an adjacent seat back of such a vehicle, so as to prevent any independent vibration of said table while the vehicle is in motion. And, correlated thereto, are original and novel quick acting devices for applying or releasing the tension aforesaid.

In the present practice of our invei'tion we employ as the table member proper, a

The outer ends of these supporting bars are pivoted at 12 to posts 13, which posts are disposed in a vertical plane for a portion of their length and then bent at an angle to the perpendicular at 14 as indicated in Figs. 1

and 3. At the inner end of the supporting bars 12 are provided depending lugs 15, to

-which are pivoted arcuate, downwardly extending, threaded, tension rods 16, the radius of which rods is determined from the pivotal points 12". Located in the supporting bars 12 are thumb screws 17 whereby the table member A may be locked in position, and it is now to be understood that the guide-ways 12 are in slidable engagement with the supporting bars 12, so that when the thumb screws 17 are released, the table member A. may be easily disengaged from said supporting bars in a manner readily comprehended. 4

Drilled or otherwise punctured through the posts 13 are openings 18, Fig. 3, through which the tension rods 16 are adapted to project, there being, in the cheapest development of this invention, thumb nuts 19, threaded over said rods and bearing against the posts 13, whereby a tension may be created in said rods by rotating said nuts. The posts 13 are sustained in position by a base casting 20, having a pair of upstanding, parallel lugs 21, which are internally bored for the free reception of said posts. One wall of each of these lugs 21 is slotted at its upper end and provided. with clamping ears 22, which are adapted to be tightened by screws 23, thereby maintaining the posts 13 in placed position. Base casting 20 is pro- I co-eliicient of friction between the table' member and the seat bacl.

The operation ofour device may now be described as follows, reference being hadto Fig. 3, in which the table member is expressed in the form of a convertible luncheon case. The said case is first engaged with the supporting bars 12 back B, by creating a tension in the rods 16. This enforced frictional contact will prevent any independent .vibratipn of the table. memb hended.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 we disclose a or i a manner easily compre- 4 quick acting device for creatingand releasthe opening 30. Said noted that when thesaid sleeves have their of the said ing the'tension in the rods 16. With this device the apertures 30 through the posts 13 are formed with oppositely disposed spiral cam faces 31.and'3l and'on the face of said posts surrounding the said opening 30 are produced helical cam faces 32 and 32. Freely fitting within the opening 30 are two mating semi-cylindrical sleeves 33 and 33 provided at one end with'helical cam faces 34 and 34 adapted to co-act with the like cam faces 325and'32 surrounding sleeves are internally apertured, and at the end adjacent the cam faces 34 and 34 are threaded for engagement with the threaded portion of the rods 16. These internal screw threads proceed only a short distance, and the remainder of apertures 35 are distinctly larger 1n diameter than the said rods, and it is now to be longitudinaledge's in contact, there will be a free engagement only of the threads in said sleeves with the threads on the rods. On the periphery of the sleeves 3'3 and 33,

J diametrically opposite each other, are formed semi-circular longitudinal ridges 36and 36 which ridges engage the cam faces 31 and .3l whereby upon rotation of said sleeves in the proper direction,the said ridges coacting with the said cam faces, tend to close the sleeves into engagement with the screw threaded rods. At thle same time the cam faces 32 and 32 and 34 and 34* are co-actin to produce an endwise motion a tension in the latter. For sake of clearness it is here explained that the diametrical distance between the ridges 36 and 36 when the sleeves are solidly closed together is I rotation thereof is reversed, At

as already dea fscribed and the thumb nuts 19 are then -rotated in the proper direction to enforce contact of the rubber bumpers 25 with the seat eeves and rods 16, so as to create when the sleeves are closed slightly less than the diameter of theopening 30 at its least diameter, so that there is no excessive frictional resistance to the rotation of the sleeves. In the marginal walls of these sleeves are formed coinciding chamhere for the reception of helical springs 40,

which are provided to insure the spreading apart of the -sleeves when the direction of site end of the sleeves 33 and 33*, are formed hinge ears 41 and 41, embracing which is the oppoa hub 42 of an actuating arm 43, pins 44 passing through said hub and said hinge ears being provided to maintain the parts in assembled relationship.

The sleeves 33 and 33 of the opening 30 in the'posts 13 by' the amount of endwise motion providedfor by the cams 32 and 32 and 34 and 34, plus the Width of hub 42. and suflicient space for a spring 45, embracing said sleeves between the posts 13 and hub 42, when the same is compressed, the object of this spring being to return the sleeves to the position shown in Fig. 4 as the handle member 43 is ro-' exceed the length i tated in reverse direction. It will now be seen that while the sleeves are in the position indicated in Fig. 4, the. -ridges'36 and 36 are located in opening 30 at the point of its largest diameter, and the sleeves,

therefore, are spread apart due to the actlon of springs 40, thereby ermitting free movement of the rods 16 bac ward and forward through said sleeves.

When applying the table member to the supporting bars 12*, the latter are first raised as far as possible, and the sleeves 33 and 33 rotated toclamp the rods 16 so as to,ma1n- .tain said bars in their raised position. The

guide-ways 12 are then slipped over said supporting bars and the thumb screws 17 tightened, after which the sleeves are reversely rotated, releasing the rods 16 and permitting the bars 12? and the attached table member A to drop by gravity until. the bumpers 25 contact with the seat back B. The sleeves are now again rotated, creating a tension in the aforesaid rods 16 to enforce frictional contact with said heat back, to maintain the table member against independent vibration. hAttention is now directed to the fact that t e Flat punched sheet With a plurality of serrations along'the edgesthereof will serve the same purpose, but the-round'rods of lesser cost of production.

It is nowexplained that the distance from outside to outside of hinge ears 41 and ,41

together and before the ,hub 42 is applied is slightly less than the greatest diameter of opening 30,

are preferred because introduced into said opening with the cars suggest themselves to one skilled in the art or permitted under the doctrine of equivalents.

Having thus fully disclosed our invention we claim as new and desire to secure to ourselves by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A supporting structure for automobile tables and the like including, in combination, an uprightly sustained post having a table supporting bar pivoted thereto, there being a chamber through said post possessed of spiral cam faces, internally apertured members coacting with said cam faces in said chamber adapted for diametrical and longitudinal movement therein upon rotation thereof, and a tension member in connection with said bar, engaged by said apertured members.

2. A supporting structure for automobile tables and the like including, in combination, an uprightly sustained post having a table supporting bar pivotedthereto, there being a chamber through said post, helical cam faces on said post surrounding said chamber, internally apertured members in said chamber engaging said cam faces and adapted for diametrical and longitudinal movement therein upon rotation thereof, and a tension member in connection with said bar, engaged by said apertured members.

3. In combination, a base structure, an uprightly sustained post therein, having, an opening therethrough possessed of spiral cam faces, and helical cam faces on said post surrounding said opening, internally apertured members in said opening coacting with said spiral and said helical cam faces, means for rotating said members, a supporting bar in pivotal relationship with said post, and a tension member connected to said supporting bar and engaged by said internally apertured members. v

t. In a device of the class described, including a seat and a floor of an automobile and the like, a support mounted on said fioorin adjacency to the back of the said seat, posts arising from said support and having their upper portions bent obliquely back, and a table member having its substantially rear edge in pivotal connection with the upper ends of said posts, said table member being adapted to be swung from a substantially horizontal position up and be yond the perpendicular plane of said pivotal connection, whereby said table member will be maintained in an upright position against the back of said seat by gravity.

5. In a device of the class described, including a seat and a floor of an automobile and the like, a base structure located on said floor in adjacency to the rear of said seat, said base having an upstanding socket at either end thereof, posts having vertical portions fitted in each of said sockets, each of said posts being possessed of an oblique and upwardly bent portion extending rear- Wardly beyond said base, and a table member pivotally connected to the upper ends of said oblique portions along its substantially rear edge thereof, whereby the front face of said table member will contact the rear face of said seat by the force of gravity.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a frame and a seat arlsing therefrom, of a support arranged in the rear of the seat and having a transverse base mounted on the frame, a rod extending vertically up from said base with its upper portion bent obliquely back, a table pivoted to the upper extremity of the rod, said pivot being located in the rear of the longitudinal center of the surface to which it is attached; said rod being provided with a transverse opening in the vicinity of its bend, and an arcuate bar pivoted at its upper end to the table at a point in front of the pivoting point of the rod and having its lower portion slidably fitting through the transverse opening in the rod, and means for fixing said rod in unslidable position.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

In the presence of- W. HARDING, H. E. Hrcemson. 

